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Pigskin Picks: Local young talent will keep tradition of excellence going

Published: Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 9:47 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 9:47 p.m.

I'm not only impressed with the level of talent the local volleyball programs are showcasing this year; I'm thoroughly impressed with how young that talent is.

West Henderson (17-1), North Henderson (12-2), Hendersonville (10-4) and Rosman (14-0) are continuing to prove that the pinnacle of good volleyball stems from the area; we have a bevy of talent here.

And those youngsters around the area that are already making their mark are keeping that tradition flowing right into the next year.

It's no secret that I enjoy talking about the sport of volleyball probably more than any other, but I try to spread the love each Friday. Well, today, without apology, I'm going to indulge.

Objections on my assertion there's not much to say about football this week? Five of the seven teams in our coverage area added losses to their records last Friday night, and none of them have winning records. That about sums things up.

Not that there are not positives about the what's left of the football season, but credit is due to the young ladies that continue the tradition of volleyball excellence in this area.

North freshman Caroline Marsh is leading the area in a big way at the net with 282 kills for the Lady Knights.

West sophomore Taylor Houck actually led the Lady Falcons Tuesday in their biggest match of the season (against North, of course) with 19 kills. She's second on West's team in that department, with 147. A freshman, Mary Catherine Ball, is third for West with 122.

West sophomore Kasey Kilpatrick has 322 assists on the season.

All of this isn't to overshadow the work that the upperclassmen on these teams have put in over the past few years, but rather to show that that tradition of excellence isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Do yourself a favor and pop in to an upcoming home match. You won't be disappointed.

Last week: 13-2

Season: 60-19

Games back: None

West Henderson at North Henderson

The Knights are proving themselves week by week to be a strong contender in the area, despite being hard-hit by injury. They'll be eager to knock down the second of three teams tonight on their way to the county title. … NORTH, 27-19.

East Henderson at Pisgah

Other than a pregame handshake and exchanging pleasantries, it won't be a warm welcome from former East coach Brett Chappell and his Black Bears to the Eagles tonight in Pisgah. … PISGAH, 34-13.

Mountain Heritage at Hendersonville

Just when the Bearcats get their quarterback healthy, a few other starters go down. Still, Hendersonville knows it can't afford to lose three in a row, much less start out its conference season with an "L." … HENDERSONVILLE, 36-27.

Madison at Polk County

The Wolverines are playing at the top of their game thanks to a highly competitive intro to the season, and they'll make their record .500 tonight. … POLK, 22-20.

Franklin at Brevard

Talk about an introduction to WNC Athletic Conference play. The undefeated Panthers will see some surprises from Brevard tonight, but not enough to keep them from the win. … FRANKLIN, 35-13.

Rosman at Murphy

It'll be tough intro to the reality of conference season for the Tigers, as they travel to one of the top two teams in the Smoky Mountain Conference. … MURPHY, 42-23.

<p>I'm not only impressed with the level of talent the local volleyball programs are showcasing this year; I'm thoroughly impressed with how young that talent is. </p><p>West Henderson (17-1), North Henderson (12-2), Hendersonville (10-4) and Rosman (14-0) are continuing to prove that the pinnacle of good volleyball stems from the area; we have a bevy of talent here. </p><p>And those youngsters around the area that are already making their mark are keeping that tradition flowing right into the next year. </p><p>It's no secret that I enjoy talking about the sport of volleyball probably more than any other, but I try to spread the love each Friday. Well, today, without apology, I'm going to indulge. </p><p>Objections on my assertion there's not much to say about football this week? Five of the seven teams in our coverage area added losses to their records last Friday night, and none of them have winning records. That about sums things up. </p><p>Not that there are not positives about the what's left of the football season, but credit is due to the young ladies that continue the tradition of volleyball excellence in this area. </p><p>North freshman Caroline Marsh is leading the area in a big way at the net with 282 kills for the Lady Knights. </p><p>West sophomore Taylor Houck actually led the Lady Falcons Tuesday in their biggest match of the season (against North, of course) with 19 kills. She's second on West's team in that department, with 147. A freshman, Mary Catherine Ball, is third for West with 122. </p><p>West sophomore Kasey Kilpatrick has 322 assists on the season. </p><p>All of this isn't to overshadow the work that the upperclassmen on these teams have put in over the past few years, but rather to show that that tradition of excellence isn't going anywhere anytime soon. </p><p>Do yourself a favor and pop in to an upcoming home match. You won't be disappointed. </p><p><b>Last week</b>: 13-2 </p><p><b>Season</b>: 60-19 </p><p><b>Games back</b>: None </p><p><b>West Henderson at North Henderson</b></p><p>The Knights are proving themselves week by week to be a strong contender in the area, despite being hard-hit by injury. They'll be eager to knock down the second of three teams tonight on their way to the county title. … NORTH, 27-19. </p><p><b>East Henderson at Pisgah </b></p><p>Other than a pregame handshake and exchanging pleasantries, it won't be a warm welcome from former East coach Brett Chappell and his Black Bears to the Eagles tonight in Pisgah. … PISGAH, 34-13. </p><p><b>Mountain Heritage at Hendersonville</b> </p><p>Just when the Bearcats get their quarterback healthy, a few other starters go down. Still, Hendersonville knows it can't afford to lose three in a row, much less start out its conference season with an "L." … HENDERSONVILLE, 36-27. </p><p><b>Madison at Polk County</b> </p><p>The Wolverines are playing at the top of their game thanks to a highly competitive intro to the season, and they'll make their record .500 tonight. … POLK, 22-20. </p><p><b>Franklin at Brevard</b></p><p>Talk about an introduction to WNC Athletic Conference play. The undefeated Panthers will see some surprises from Brevard tonight, but not enough to keep them from the win. … FRANKLIN, 35-13. </p><p><b>Rosman at Murphy</b></p><p>It'll be tough intro to the reality of conference season for the Tigers, as they travel to one of the top two teams in the Smoky Mountain Conference. … MURPHY, 42-23. </p><p><b>Other games</b></p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN </p><p>McDowell at T.C. ROBERSON </p><p>ENKA at North Buncombe </p><p>Swain County at ROBBINSVILLE </p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA </p><p>OWEN at Avery County </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>Cherokee at HAYESVILLE</p><p><b>FRIDAY PICKS</b> </p><p><b>Ron Wagner</b> </p><p><b>Last week</b>: 14-1 </p><p><b>Season</b>: 59-20 </p><p><b>Games back</b>: One </p><p>West Henderson at NORTH HENDERSOON </p><p>East Henderson at PISGAH </p><p>Mountain Heritage at HENDERSONVILLE </p><p>Madison at POLK COUNTY </p><p>FRANKLIN at Brevard </p><p>Rosman at MURPHY </p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN </p><p>McDowell at T.C. ROBERSON </p><p>Enka at NORTH BUNCOMBE </p><p>Swain County at ROBBINSVILLE </p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA </p><p>OWEN at Avery County </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>Cherokee at HAYESVILLE </p><p>Dennis Little </p><p>Last week: 12-3 </p><p>Season: 58-21</p><p>Games back: Two </p><p>West Henderson at NORTH HENDERSON</p><p>East Henderson at PISGAH</p><p>Mountain Heritage at HENDERSONVILLE</p><p>Madison at POLK COUNTY</p><p>FRANKLIN at Brevard </p><p>Rosman at MURPHY </p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN</p><p>McDowell at T.C. ROBERSON </p><p>Enka at NORTH BUNCOMBE</p><p>Swain County at ROBBINSVILLE</p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA</p><p>OWEN at Avery County </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>Cherokee at HAYESVILLE</p><p><b>Dean Hensley</b> </p><p><b>Last week</b>: 12-3 </p><p><b>Season</b>: 57-22</p><p><b>Games back</b>: Three </p><p>West Henderson at NORTH HENDERSON</p><p>East Henderson at PISGAH</p><p>MOUNTAIN HERITAGE at Hendersonville</p><p>MADISON at Polk County </p><p>FRANKLIN at Brevard </p><p>Rosman at MURPHY</p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN</p><p>McDowell at T.C. ROBERSON</p><p>ENKA at North Buncombe </p><p>SWAIN COUNTY at Robbinsville </p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA</p><p>Owen at AVERY COUNTY </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>Cherokee at HAYESVILLE </p><p><b>Mike Morgan</b> </p><p><b>Last week</b>: 8-7</p><p><b>Season</b>: 53-26 </p><p><b>Games back</b>: Seven </p><p>West Henderson at NORTH HENDERSON</p><p>East Henderson at PISGAH</p><p>Mountain Heritage at HENDERSONVILLE </p><p>Madison at POLK COUNTY</p><p>FRANKLIN at Brevard </p><p>Rosman at MURPHY </p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN</p><p>McDowell at T.C. ROBERSON </p><p>Enka at NORTH BUNCOMBE</p><p>SWAIN COUNTY at Robbinsville </p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA</p><p>OWEN at Avery County </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>Cherokee at HAYESVILLE</p><p><b>Joey Millwood</b></p><p><b>Last week</b>: 11-4 </p><p><b>Season</b>: 49-30</p><p><b>Games back</b>: 11 </p><p>West Henderson at NORTH HENDERSON </p><p>East Henderson at PISGAH </p><p>Mountain Heritage at HENDERSONVILLE </p><p>Madison at POLK COUNTY </p><p>FRANKLIN at Brevard </p><p>ROSMAN at Murphy </p><p>A.C. Reynolds at ERWIN</p><p>McDowell at ROBERSON </p><p>ENKA at North Buncombe </p><p>SWAIN COUNTY at Robbinsville </p><p>Smoky Mountain at TUSCOLA </p><p>OWEN at Avery County </p><p>CHRIST SCHOOL at First Assembly </p><p>CHEROKEE at Hayesville</p>